


breathless

by dawnofmidnight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, medieval au kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:30:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4289049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnofmidnight/pseuds/dawnofmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima figured that he could try, if just to see Tetsurou smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	breathless

**Author's Note:**

> kurotsukki week day 6: falling in love over and over  
> this doesn't fit the prompt perfectly but whatever, each scene is supposed to show a time that tsukki likes kuroo more and more

Kuroo had taken Tsukishima's breath away in more ways than one at their first meeting. The stranger's graceful, deft movements, the mysterious helmet over his head that only revealed his dangerous, sly eyes, his sleek, black armor, and the _fucking blade he held up to Tsukishima's throat_ ; yeah, those had all effectively left Tsukishima breathless. Frankly, he was sure that if he dared to exhale, he would be dead.

Tsukishima had been traveling both by boat and by foot for a few weeks, accidentally straying off his route multiple times. He was searching for Nekoma upon Sawamura's request for some training to "bring out your potential and actually make you care," or something. The sense of relief he felt upon finally arriving at the grand gates of Nekoma that surrounded the kingdom was disintegrated when an arrow flew past him. It would've struck him in the shoulder if he hadn't sidestepped instantaneously. Tsukishima whipped out his own bow, but someone had already sidled up to him with a knife to his throat before he could nock an arrow.

"What's your business here?" his assailant growled to him, adjusting his grip on the hilt so that it wasn't digging quite so deep into Tsukishima's skin when he realized that Tsukishima wasn't fighting back.

"I'm from Karasuno. Our chief sent me here to meet a mentor-Kuroo, I think?," Tsukishima answered, struggling to keep the quaver out of his voice.

"Daichi sent you?"

Tsukishima nodded, tilting his head towards the black and orange emblem of a crow that was on his cloak. The man sheathed his knife, allowing Tsukishima to catch his breath before he slipped off his mask to reveal messy black hair and a scar that stretched from the temple of his head and down his chiseled jawline.

"You must be Tsukishima, then. I'm Kuroo, commander of the military around here. Welcome to Nekoma," he smirked, eyeing up Tsukishima. "Daichi wrote to me, he said that you had some hidden strengths. Seems like you have good reflexes, most people wouldn't have been able to dodge my arrow" he mused, mostly to himself.

Tsukishima gestured towards the long, taupe bow in Kuroo's hand, which was attached to his forearm with a series of straps. "You're an archer? Why do you have a knife, too?"

Kuroo chuckled. "Oh, youth. You have so much to learn. I'm a master archer, yes, but it's important to keep around another small weapon, just in case. Now come on, I'll show you around."

Gods, he's cocky, Tsukishima couldn't help thinking. He supposed that Kuroo had reason to be, though; the skills that he had just displayed were already more amazing than that of any archer he had ever witnessed back in Karasuno, and he seemed to be only a few years older than himself. Karasuno was overall more skilled in close combat fighting with swords and javelins, which was why Daichi sent Tsukishima here. Tsukishima followed Kuroo through the gates, which opened when Kuroo yelled up to the guards in the patrol towers.

"Why were you out here anyway? Should the commander of the entire military have to keep watch?" Surely someone like Kuroo would be doing something more meaningful.

"Oh, I wasn't on watch. I was on my way back from training in the woods over there." Kuroo answered, pointing to a dense group of trees.

"Woods? There're woods here? Like a forest? With trees and animals and monsters and everything?" Tsukishima tried to hide his excitement, really, but he had never seen an actual forest before. He looked towards where Kuroo had pointed, squinting at the distant blobs of green.

"Have you never seen a forest before?"

Tsukishima blushed. "Karasuno is an island, and it's just the sea everywhere. I've read about the woods, but..." Kuroo smiled, his face kind rather than smug.  
"I'll take you there someday when you're stronger. It's pretty tough in there; you have to know how to fend for yourself against the monsters. I'm sure you'll be ready soon enough though."

Tsukishima couldn't resist smiling.  
* * *  
Nekoma was _beautiful._ Whereas the architecture in Karasuno mostly consisted of marble, Nekoma's buildings were constructed with both wood and stone. There were more people than at home, and the town square in front of the castle was liveliest area. Vendors had set up their shops on the cobblestone roads while children and adults alike socialized and played in the center.

"There's a room ready for you in the castle, it's right across from mine," Kuroo shouted as he swerved through the throngs of people, keeping a tight grip on Tsukishima's wrist.

"Are you royalty? And am I even allowed in there? I should be staying in an inn," Tsukishima yelled back.

"It's my treat, don't worry about it. And no, I'm not a noble, but people here sure treat me like it. Perks of being commander, I guess." Ah, that explained why so many citizens in the square were turning to greet Kuroo. Tsukishima was surprised by how nice Kuroo was to them, acknowledging and responding to each and every one of their heartfelt looks as if they were old friends.

"Do you even know all of these people?" Tsukishima inquired. Kuroo shrugged, stopping in his tracks to let a horse-driven wagon pass before continuing towards the castle. He let go of Tsukishima's wrist once they stepped through the great doors in front and knocked.

Tsukishima stood frozen in place as the doors opened. The castle was unbelievable. The entrance was bathed with a warm light from several chandeliers, illuminating the innumerable staircases. There were servants scurrying around with platters of food, ambassadors of some sort waiting on the plush couches, and mischievous children running around...it was a lot to take in.

"Hey, you okay?" Kuroo asked concernedly. "It's a lot, I know. I felt like you when I first got here. You'll get used to it eventually, and it's really great. The nobles are all nice, and the servants are treated really well. You'll be fine."

Tsukishima swallowed and let Kuroo lead him up one of the staircases and down many hallways. _Second staircase from the left, right at the painting, another right, left at the fork, then a right again-or was it left?_ Oh gods, Tsukishima was screwed.

"And here we are! If you need anything, I'll be right across the hall, or you could call on one of the servants. It's getting late, and you're probably really tired. I'll show you around a bit more tomorrow and introduce you to the routine, and then we'll start training. Oh, and you need clean clothes, wait one sec," Kuroo entered his room and came back with a set of folded pajamas in his hands.

"You're about my size, so they should fit. We'll go out to buy you new things tomorrow, and leave your clothes in the hamper so that they'll be taken to get washed. I'll write to Daichi and tell him that you're here, so you just go to bed."

Tsukishima nodded gratefully and muttered "Thanks," too tired to make any more conversation. He yawned as Kuroo bid him good night and said it back before they both retreated into their rooms.

The room was, not surprisingly, really nice. The large bed was up against the wall, which provided a stunning view of the town outside through the glass walls. The embroidered drapes were drawn to the side, and Tsukishima closed them after placing his bag down next to the tall, wooden dresser. He would unpack tomorrow-for tonight, all he had the energy left to do was wash up in the restroom and change into Kuroo's clothes.

Collapsing onto the bed, Tsukishima fell asleep within minutes, the smell of pine that was unmistakably Kuroo's scent lulling him to sleep.  
* * *  
Tsukishima was already awake when Kuroo knocked on his door the next morning and was quick to open it.

"Morning, Tsukki," Kuroo yawned, rubbing his eyes. He was dressed simply in a short tunic with tights. "Sorry, I'm not a morning person."

"Did you just call me Tsukki?" Kuroo straightened with a jolt and opened his mouth to either defend himself or apologize, but Tsukishima stopped him.

"It's...it's okay. You can call me that," Tsukishima mumbled, averting his eyes. Kuroo let out a laugh of relief and dragged Tsukishima out of the room.

They ate breakfast together in one of the small dining halls. Some of the castle's other residents greeted both of them and sat near them, making comfortable conversation with both of them.

"Yaku's the head butler, Lev's a new servant, Taketora is a war hero, and Kenma is the prince. These guys are basically my best friends around here," Kuroo explained sheepishly afterwards as he and Tsukishima made their way into the shopping district of town. "They can be a handful, but..."

Tsukishima smiled and bumped his shoulder into Kuroo's playfully. "They seem nice," he reassured. Kuroo grinned, and Tsukishima felt his heart skip a beat.

_Oh no._  
* * *  
Once they had finished buying Tsukishima's things, Kuroo took them to the castle's training ground. Tsukishima was admittedly nervous-what if he wasn't as good as Kuroo expected him to be? He wasn't terrible, but he had never tried enough to be great. He didn't want to embarrass himself now, though. The shiny new dagger he had bought was nestled in his sheath at his side, its golden hilt gleaming in the sunlight, while his bow and quiver were resting against the wall. Kuroo had brought his own weapons and was leaning back on the wall as well with his arms crossed, scrutinizing Tsukishima.

Tsukishima felt bare and vulnerable under his gaze, especially without his bow. He shifted nervously, subconsciously linking his fingers together.

Kuroo suddenly clapped briskly, making Tsukishima jump. "Okay, let's see what you can do."

"W-what? Wait, what do I do?"

Kuroo laughed as Tsukishima got flustered. "Take your bow and just shoot at that target over there." Tsukishima obeyed, retrieving his bow and quiver and getting into position. The target wasn't so far away as to being impossible to hit, but it certainly wasn't easy. He squinted at the blurred rings of color as he readied his arrow, then pulled back the bowstring to aim.

The arrow whizzed through the air as he released and landed on the target with a thud. It didn't seem to be dead on the center, but it was nowhere near the edge either. A pretty solid shot, if he could say so himself.

"Hey, that was great!" Kuroo exclaimed. "Here, let me just fix your posture a little bit."

Tsukishima could feel his body heat up as Kuroo touched him, his warm, strong hands adjusting Tsukishima's shoulders and waist. Kuroo repositioned his arms one last time before stepping back and instructing him to shoot again. This time was even closer to the center, and Kuroo grinned proudly. "You're going to be absolutely terrific when I'm done with you, just you wait!"  
* * *  
Tsukshima shot a few more arrows, moving onto more difficult targets, before Kuroo suddenly stopped him with a frown.

"Tsukki, read that sign up there." Tsukishima cocked his head in confusion but tilted his head up towards where Kuroo was pointing. That was far away, gods. He narrowed his eyes, managing to make out an A, R, and Y.

"Archery?" he said sheepishly.

"Armory," Kuroo corrected. "You need glasses, Tsukki! Come on, we're gonna order them right now." They began to leave the castle before Kuroo turned around to face Tsukki with an awestruck expression. "I can't believe that you've been hitting those targets without being able to see them properly! You're amazing, Tsukki," he gushed.

"I'm not that great," Tsukishima mumbled, heart pounding. Kuroo just rolled his eyes in response and ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes.

_I'm so fucked._  
* * *  
A week later, Tsukishima's glasses came in. Tsukishima gasped when he put on the thin red frames-why he didn't realize how bad his vision was earlier?!

"You sure look enlightened," Kuroo snickered as Tsukishima took in the fine details of the grain of the wooden buildings, the individual stones of the road, and most importantly, the faraway trees, which were more than just blobs now.

"The _leaves,_ Kuroo, look!" Tsukishima laughed in glee. 

Kuroo chuckled back, "Yeah, Shimizu was the same when she got her glasses."

"Wait, Kiyoko-san?" Tsukishima asked, and Kuroo nodded.

"How do you know her? And Sawamura-san?"

Kuroo sighed, the corners of his mouth lifting in fondness. "Daichi saved my life. It was ages ago, it's probably been about 8 years at least-no, 9, I was 16 at the time."

"Oh, you're just 2 years older than me, then," Tsukishima noted. "Sorry, continue.

"Daichi was lost on his way here from Karasuno and ended up near the woods when he heard me screaming bloody murder. A griffon had attacked me-that's how I got this scar, and a few more on my shoudler-and Daichi just jumped in and chopped its head off. It was pretty cool." Tsukishima felt a sudden wave of jealousy towards his chief at the thought of him being Kuroo's night in shining armor but opted to ignore it.

"And Shimizu's my cousin," Kuroo finished.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, can't you tell? Good looks run in the family," he boasted. Tsukishima shook his head in dismay but couldn't find it in himself to lie and try to deny Kuroo's attractiveness.

"Come on, let's go to the training go ground," Kuroo ordered. Tsukishima's heartbeat sped up in anticipation-he would be able to actually see the targets! He could probably impress Kuroo-gods, he couldn't wait.

Surely enough, Tsukishima did better than he had ever did before, although it probably wasn't much better than average. He tried to hide his joy, shrugging when Kuroo praised him. Kuroo was ecstatic, even more so than himself.

"Anyone that can see properly can shoot like that," Tsukishima scoffed.

Kuroo glared at him. "You're so talented, Kei. Don't give me that look, I'm serious. You've only been here for a week, but you've already gotten so much better. So just...just try a little bit. Please."

Tsukishima figured that he could, if just to see Tetsurou smile like that again.  
* * *  
Months passed, and even Tsukishima had to admit that he had improved under Kuroo's guidance. He was proficient with his dagger by now, and his archery was better than he could have ever imagined.

And Kuroo...well, Tsukishima liked him, to say the least. They were much closer now, spending more and more time just hanging out instead of only training. Tsukishima had been inducted into Kuroo's circle of friends, all of who he had grown to like, but he definitely preferred to be alone with Kuroo.

Tsukishima might've been in love with him, but no one had to know that.

"Hey, Tsukki. I think you're ready," Kuroo had told him one afternoon after training, wiping the sweat from his brow. They had taken to sparring every once in a while, whether it was with a blade or their bare hands and feet. Kuroo had always won, of course, but Tsukshima was getting better.

"Ready for...what?" Tsukishima panted as he bent over to rest his hands on his knees.

"For the woods. We can go tonight if you want."

Tsukishima's head was spinning. Between Kuroo's shirtless, sweaty form and the opportunity to finally go into the forest, he was sure that he was going to pass out then and there.

He grinned and rose back up. "Can we go _now_?" 

Kuroo laughed, and gods, he was beautiful. "Sure. Let's change and get our stuff, we can probably get there by sundown."

Once they were prepared, they made their way out of Nekoma, dressed in armor and equipped with their weapons. Their hands brushed constantly, sending a spark through Tsukishima's body each time.

"And here we are," Kuroo said in a soft voice, glancing over at him. Tsukishima beamed-wow, his mouth kind of hurt from that, he didn't really smile that broadly very often-and craned his head up.

"They're so tall," he breathed out. Kuroo simply hummed in affirmation as he slipped on his helmet.

"Put yours on too. We'll need it."

Tsukishima mimicked Kuroo, and both of them prepared their bows and arrows. With a shaky exhale, Tsukishima followed him into the woods. They stayed silent, and Tsukishima took in all of the sounds; birds chirping, flowing water, faint rustlings, a distant, low growl-there was so much, but a still silence still encased the area.

Tsukshima also heard Kuroo take a deep breath next to him. He turned to face him, but Kuroo was looking away. Kuroo slowly inched his hand towards Tsukishima's. Their fingers intertwined, and Tsukishima could feel Kuroo's warmth through their gloves.

"It's dangerous in here. We-we shouldn't get split up," he stuttered.

_Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods what do I do what's happening oh gods oh gods-_

"Y-yeah. Let's go," he managed to reply.

The woods became darker and thicker as they ventured deeper into it. They encountered a chimera and fought it, although they agreed not to kill it. Kuroo's movements were as refined as ever, and it still managed to take Tsukishima's breath away. The chimera had snapped at Kuroo after they left, causing him to leap back.

"These things always get provoked by me," Kuroo pouted.

"It's probably the way you smirk at them before you try and kill them," Tsukishima chuckled.

They spoke quietly to one another the entire time as well, even while they were fighting. Kuroo kept insisting on taking back Tsukishima's hand after battling each monster that appeared on their path, and Tsukishima didn't protest a single time. 

"How far in can we go?" Tsukishima murmured, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the woods.

"You'll see," Kuroo responded mischievously.

They happened upon a section of the woods where the trees thinned out, and Kuroo tugged Tsukishima towards it. He removed his helmet, and Tsukishima did the same.

"Here we are," Kuroo whispered as they arrived.

It was a small meadow of sorts, surrounded by a circle of trees. A few wildflowers bloomed here and there, and the light of the evening sun streamed down onto the grass.

"I found it the day we met," Kuroo broke the silence. Tsukishima stared at him, noticed how Kuroo's eyes were a gorgeous copper in the sunlight. They were still holding hands, Kuroo's rubbing slow circles onto the top of Tsukishima's.

"Tetsurou, I love you," Tsukishima blurted out. Shit, shit, _shit,_ he couldn't believe he said that-

Kuroo took a sharp intake of breath before breaking out into a grin. "Oh gods, I love you too. I love you so much, Kei." They simply gazed at each other for moments, Tsukishima still trying to grasp the reality of the situation. He pulled Kuroo towards him so that they were facing each other properly. He could feel Kuroo shudder as they pressed their foreheads together, and his own heart was pounding rapidly.

Tsukishima closed his eyes when Kuroo finally kissed him, tilting his head so that his glasses wouldn't get in the way. They kissed each other breathless, barely stopping to pull back.

"We can't tell anyone, can we?" Tsukishima asked softly. It wouldn't be permitted, much less accepted. Kuroo shook his head sadly, confirming Tsukishima's thoughts, and leaned in to press his lips to Tsukishima's again, the sky becoming an inky black above them.  
* * *  
"Did you have fun , Tsukki?" Kuroo inquired a few weeks later as the pair returned to Kuroo's room from the festival in town square. They did this every night, sneaking into one of their rooms after making sure that no one was around to see them.

"Yeah, it was great. You guys go all out here," Tsukishima replied. It wasn't a lie at all-practically everyone was dressed in a yukata or kimono, Kuroo and Tsukishima included, and the square itself had been decorated beautifully as well. Tsukishima had had a fun time with his and Kuroo's friends as they ran around to try each different type of food and play every game available.

"Mm, I'm glad," Kuroo murmured offhandedly when they entered his room. He bolted the door and lay down on his bed, curling his fingers on the collar of Tsukishima's yukata. "Now come here, you."

Tsukishima let himself be pulled down into a kiss, straddling Kuroo and looping his arms around his neck. He nudged off one of the sleeves of Kuroo's kimono to expose part of Kuroo's chest and shoulder, running his hands over the scarred muscle. Kuroo's fingers meanwhile fiddled with the obi of Tsukishima's yukata. Tsukishima pulled back to face Kuroo, whose eyes were filled with longing.

"Do you want to..."

"Gods, yes." Kuroo answered earnestly.

With one more kiss, Kuroo flipped over, resting the side of his head on a pillow. Tsukshima was gentle and oh-so-careful with him, delicately pushing up the edge of Kuroo's kimono so that it bunched up at the small of his back.

"We have to stay quiet," Tsukishima reminded him, stroking Kuroo's waist. Kuroo shivered in pleasure at the touch and nodded.

Kuroo made the most beautiful sounds as Tsukishima entered him, his moans mixed with deep breaths of _'Kei'_. Tsukishima reveled in it when Kuroo became louder, but they both knew better; Kuroo soon bit into the pillow in order to muffle his voice, lest someone in the castle hear him.

They stayed curled up together in Kuroo's bed afterwards, Kuroo tangling his fingers through Tsukishima's hair, the curls significantly longer than when Tsukishima had arrived in Nekoma.

"Daichi thinks it's about time you get home," Kuroo mumbled to him. Tsukishima sighed.

"I know, he wrote to me too. Can we still do this, Kuroo?"

"Karasuno isn't that far from here-maybe two or three days by horseback, if you know where you're going. We can visit each other often that way. Nekomata says that he has a bunch of work for me, but I'll make time, I promise."

"I don't know what Daichi has in store for me once I'm home, but I'm sure that I can come back here," Tsukishima stated.

"We'll be fine, Kei," Kuroo reassured.

Tsukishima smiled. "Yeah. We'll be fine."

**Author's Note:**

> tsukki looks nice in art where he has red glasses sooo yeah :D  
> http://ink819.tumblr.com/post/94464510664 the last pic in this set helped inspire the last scene  
> kuroo's bow and arm straps are like hawkeye's in the mcu


End file.
